Canadian rapper The Weeknd recently cleared up some rumours about his anticipated Super Bowl LV halftime performance and revealed the format of his show on February 7 will differ from years past in that it will not feature a variety of performers.
According to Fox News, Speaking to the NFL Network on Thursday, the Blinding Lights' singer was asked if any surprise guests will "pop up or fly in" during the show.
"I've been reading a lot of rumours. I wouldn't bet on it. There wasn't any room to fit it in the narrative and in the story I was telling in the performance so, yeah, there's no special guests," The Weeknd told host Kay Adams.
Pepsi, the sponsor of the annual Super Bowl halftime show, announced in November the Canadian performer will be this year's headlining act.
"Pepsi has worked with some of music's biggest artists over the years - from Prince to Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Bruno Mars and most recently Jennifer Lopez and Shakira. After a year that's largely been void of live music, we can't wait to watch The Weeknd transform the world's biggest stage with his limitless talent and creativity, delivering what will most certainly be an unforgettable performance that will be remembered for years to come," Todd Kaplan, VP of marketing, Pepsi, said in a statement.
As reported by Fox News, at the time, the Grammy-winning musician said he was "humbled, honoured and ecstatic to be the center of that infamous stage."
The revelation that there will be no guests involved may come as a shock to fans as The Weeknd is known for pulling shocking stunts on stage and on red carpets.
In recent months, the singer --born Abel Makkonen Tesfaye in Toronto-- made headlines for appearing in public with white bandages covering his face. What appeared to be bruising and scarring were also visible around his eyes when wearing the bandages.
Fans were perplexed by not only the costume choice but also by his facial alterations in the music video for his hit, 'Save Your Tears,' which saw his cheekbones, jawline and more be altered.
He said the bandages were part of a story he created for a character to go along with his album, "After Hours."
"I suppose you could take that being attractive isn't important to me but a compelling narrative is," he explained.
Per Fox News, The Weeknd also explained why he sometimes appears in character and other times not.
"Why not play with the character and the artist and let those lines blur and move around?" he said.
Last year's halftime show, in Miami, featured Jennifer Lopez and Shakira. The performance included multiple Spsh-language songs, as the show was designed to be a celebration of Latino culture.
Super Bowl LV is currently scheduled to take place in Tampa, Florida on February 7, 2021, and will air on CBS.
( With inputs from ANI )
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